Measuring Outer Disk Warps with Optical Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses optical spectroscopy to analyze the kinematics of gas in the outer disk warps of seven edge-on galaxies, aiming to understand their origins and the role of external accretion versus internal instabilities.

Contribution

It introduces optical spectroscopy as a tool for studying warp kinematics with higher spatial resolution than 21-cm observations, providing new insights into warp formation mechanisms.

Findings

Preliminary evidence of gas kinematics in galaxy warps.

Potential correlation or lack thereof between warp gas and disk velocities.

Insights into gas origin from star formation and chemical abundances.

Abstract

Warps in the outer gaseous disks of galaxies are a ubiquitous phenomenon, but it is unclear what generates them. One theory is that warps are generated internally through spontaneous bending instabilities. Other theories suggest that they result from the interaction of the outer disk with accreting extragalactic material. In this case, we expect to find cases where the circular velocity of the warp gas is poorly correlated with the rotational velocity of the galaxy disk at the same radius. Optical spectroscopy presents itself as an interesting alternative to 21-cm observations for testing this prediction, because (i) separating the kinematics of the warp from those of the disk requires a spatial resolution that is higher than what is achieved at 21 cm at low HI column density; (ii) optical spectroscopy also provides important information on star formation rates, gas excitation, and chemical abundances, which provide clues to the origin of the gas in warps. We present here preliminary results of a study of the kinematics of gas in the outer-disk warps of seven edge-on galaxies, using multi-hour VLT/FORS2 spectroscopy.